cash cow

noun

1
: a consistently profitable business, property, or product whose profits are used to finance a company's investments in other areas
2
: one regarded or exploited as a reliable source of money
a singer deemed a cash cow for the record label

Examples of cash cow in a Sentence

The football team was a cash cow for the university. The movie studio saw the actress as a cash cow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tournaments are a major cash cow for the Stars' rinks, called StarCenters. Kenny Jacoby, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025 Ownership matters: The Broncos owners as cash cows matter. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025 But his antics was indicative of a sport that is very much tied to the whims of India, who are cricket’s cash cow and its finances dictate almost every major decision in cricket. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025 Rockstar's eternal cash cow, GTA 5, also sits among the top five performers. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cash cow

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cash cow was in 1972

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Cite this Entry

“Cash cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20cow. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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